Kill The Old Ones!

Chapter 171: Tournament: Grand Finals (I)

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There was an hour break after the previous fight.

It’s for Ren to get back to his peak condition. Ren doesn’t look worse for wear, not even close actually, but just to be safe, he was told to rest and recover. The organizers don’t want the public saying that they’re being unfair to Ren.

Ren has no complaints. He understood where they were coming from, so he obediently returned to a private room to rest. While this was happening, the host went around the audience, interviewing fans and asking them who they think will be the final winner.

This roused the audience into a frenzy of discussions and debate, and it went on for the entire hour that Ren was resting. It even went a little bit more than that.

Eventually, though, it ended. And the grand finals began. Ren and Adrian were called up to the stage.

One thing to note is that the arena has been expanded a bit, and so has the dome isolating it.

The arena lost its jagged rocks, patches of greenery, and uneven terrain. It became just a flat and even platform, unadorned by any design, and was purposefully built to be the stage for a huge fight.

It was elevated from the ground, but not by much. It has no borders, no gimmicks, nothing that will impede or stop the two finalists from a simple and direct clash.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The auspicious hour is upon us!" Edgar announced with his energy leaking through every corner of the stadium.

"The Grand Finals of Central City’s Youth Martial Arts Tournament is here!"

"Let us welcome our grand finalists!"

"From the right side, we have Adrian Valerius Arclight! Heir of the Sword Saint Clan and hailed as the Young Sword King!"

At his word, Adrian stepped out from the shadows of the tunnel he was in with a confident gait in his steps.

He looked just slightly different from before: handsome, tall, sharp-eyed, and strong. This time, however, he’s clad in his combat armor as if he were journeying to the dungeons. He had these large shell-like pauldrons, a plated chest piece, a combat skirt, and metal boots that reached up to his thighs.

His sword was in its sheath, hanging by his belt; his hair was tied into a ponytail, and his bright white cape billowed behind him as he strutted up the stage.

The noise in the arena went wild. People were hyped when they saw him like this. It’s as if Adrian were marching to a war.

Him wearing an armor this time meant that Adrian was taking Ren seriously. He didn’t come out like this when he fought his previous matches. He just wore his casual robes and clothes. He never felt the need to wear this at all.

But now, he did. And that says a lot about what he felt towards his final opponent for this proving grounds.

Facing him is the unexpected dark horse of this tournament! A person none of us expected to appear at all. But he’s here and has proven that he has more than enough strength and reason to compete!

"Will he stop here, or will he defy the odds once more and prove us wrong?"

"From the left side, please welcome Soren Marek Vire—representative of the Banished Arms Clan and the one who defied the odds."

Like Adrian, Ren stepped out from the shadows of the left tunnel, allowing everybody to see him.

Adrian changed his attire; Ren couldn’t be bothered.

He just had a different shirt on, but that’s about it. He wore no armor, no weapons, no protective gear at all. He just brought himself out and declared it enough for this fight.

Still, his appearance caused the audience to go wild. Some thought that his casual clothes meant that he was looking down on Adrian and not taking him seriously, and that’s enough for them to applaud Ren’s audacity.

Well, that’s an exagerration and a misunderstanding, but if it makes them happy to think that way, then sure, that’s what Ren totally meant.

The cheers died down slightly when both guys stepped onto the same stage.

"Really, do I seem that harmless to you?" Adrian asked with an amused smile.

"Nah, far from it." Ren casually dismissed it. "I can’t afford gear that could stop attacks that could affect conceptual matter. Wearing ordinary ones would just be useless and a waste of credits; you’d just slice through them anyway, so what’s the point?"

"Right, I suppose that’s true." Adrian hummed in affirmation. "And you think your skin is thick enough to stop the sharpness of my sword."

"Oh, yes." Ren didn’t even hesitate, not even for a single second. Shocking not only Adrian but also the audience.

"The one I fought earlier had spear intent; his and your fight were close. His spear intent couldn’t do a damn thing to me. What makes you think that you’re different?"

His words were so casual, like he’s pointing out something so obvious. And he was. But that doesn’t make it pleasant for Adrian, nor his supporters, to hear.

Adrian barely suppressed the twitch in his eye as he heard Ren’s dismissal of his achievements. Still, he kept his cool and said:

"We’ll see about that."

"Indeed, we shall," Ren agreed.

That’s when the countdown above them appeared and started ticking down.

Adrian slowly drew his sword from his sheath. Before the fight even began, his sword intent was already screeching in the air, claiming the battlefield as his territory.

His presence swelled as if he became the center of the world. Colors were suppressed while Adrian’s intensified, making him the sole highlight of the surroundings.

A strong and powerful heartbeat started echoing out of Adrian’s body. The sound was accompanied by the sound of clashing steel and a sharp feel into it. Those who heard it felt like sound was piercing their eardrums to the point of bleeding.

This was the manifestation of Adrian’s Heavenly Sword Heart—his innate talent that took him this far and one he had been honing since he was little.

With this activated, Adrian’s sword arts receive a powerful boost. His strength, when wielding a sword, doubles in an instant. And this wasn’t including the things he could do with his sword intent.

"Oh, this motherfucker!" Lucian stood up and wore a feral grin as he watched Adrian in this state. "He was holding back all along; what a fucking liar!"

Lucian didn’t get this treatment, and he felt like a fool for not noticing it. He should’ve known that Adrian’s innate martial physique could do much more than just make him a prodigy of sword arts.

Adrian just entered his god mode, as people would call it. He’s just waiting for the countdown to end before he begins his assault.

With Adrian like this, people began worrying about Ren.

Ren had no response that matched Adrian’s current state. Hell, he didn’t even do a damn thing.

Instead, he just gave Adrian a discerning look, inspecting him from head to toe. He didn’t look threatened, yes, but he also looked completely defenseless.

’I see, so this is the manifestation of the Heavenly Sword Heart, huh? Not bad. No wonder he was able to make an appearance in the latter half of the story.’

Ren remained unconcerned about people’s concern over him. He just admired Adrian’s current state, reminding him that, although the human race was in peril, it certainly doesn’t lack young heroes.

Maybe it’s because the race is in peril that talented people are being born left and right.

Ren stopped observing Adrian and peeked at the countdown; he saw that there are only a few seconds left, so he focused.

[Match, start!! ]

The referee blew his whistle, which signaled the start of the fight. And Adrian wasted no time. He charged, sword blazing with sword intent and heart producing a harmonious sound that fused with his sword.

His figure sliced through the air, cutting through like a comet. He then brought his sword to his side and slashed horizontally, attempting to cut Ren in half.

The audience gasped at this speed, and their hearts leapt for Ren.

BOOOMM!!!

A large explosion occurred; it’s as if Adrian’s sword made contact with a firm and solid object. Sword light erupted and blinded the audience for a bit, but when it cleared, the situation made itself clear to them.

Ren stopped Adrian’s attack with his palm.

His palm was covered with a steady stream of chakra. It formed a nearly invisible glove that firmly caught the edge of the sword, stopping it from advancing.

Ren was at ease. His arm or his hand didn’t even shake. His eyes remained indifferent but also slightly amused; it’s a stark contrast to Adrian’s shocked and disbelieving expression.

Adrian attempted to wedge the sword deeper. He poured more chakra and more sword intent into it, making it stronger and sharper. His struggle was clear for everybody to see.

But his efforts were promptly stalled and caught dead by Ren’s solid and firm palm. Forget about inches; Adrian couldn’t even push it back even a single millimeter with the strength he’s releasing.

Ren smirked and said, "See what I mean? You’re not that different from the previous guy, just a bit stronger, I suppose."